Seat support



N 1953 w. E. NORDMARK ET AL 8, 57

' SEAT SUPPORT Filed Dec. 16, 1949 3 Sheerls-Sheet l pll-1 INVENTORS Wizlfec- E. Nbvdmavli BY wmddw Nov. 10, 1953 w. E. NORDMARK ET Al. 2,658,

SEAT SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1949 IIllli;IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ll l I I.

II "u r" n II II I .m I.

INVENTORS Willi-er E. Mvd'marli Uzi Donald .5. Huhi-a Wmaww; GillhQz y 1953 w. E. NORDMARK ET AL 2,658,557

SEAT SUPPORT Filed Dec. 16, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TI": llllllllllll ll l:IIIIIIIIIIIIIII W E INVENTORIS villi-er E.M)vdmavli Patented Nov. 10, 1953 SEAT SUPPORT Walter E. Nordmark and Donald S. Huhta, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 16, 1949, Serial N 0. 133,378

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to seat supports and more particularly to vertically adjustable supports for seats of the type provided for the operators of motorbusses, railway engines and the like.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide an improved seat for the drivers of vehicles, which may easily and readily be adjusted for height according to the requirements and preferences of the particular driver occupying the seat; to provide such a seat support having means for counterbalancing the seat so that it may be moved up and down with a minimum of effort to a desired position of vertical adjustment; to provide such a seat support in which, when the seat is adjusted and occupied, the seat load is transmitted to the base through strong and durable connections; and in general to provide a seat structure and support which is simple in construction, efficient in use, reasonably economical in manufacture, and attractive in appearance.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical drivers seat mounted upon the seat support or pedestal of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspectvie view of the pedestal per se, a cover member thereof having been removed;

Figure 3 is a central, vertical sectional view of the seat pedestal taken on line 3-3 of Figure 5 and showing the seat fragmentarily and the depending seat column being inserted into the base of the supporting structure;

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 and showing the seat and column in a lowered position of vertical adjustment; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the same taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4. I

Referring now in detail to these drawings, the drivers seat shown in Figure 1 comprises a conventional upholstered seat l and back I I mounted on a tubular frame I2 which is in turn secured to the seat bracket [3 (see Figures 3 and 4), and the connections between the seat and seat bracket are such as to provide for forward and rearward adjustment and seat tilt adjustment. The latter connections are not shown in detail nor designated by numbers inasmuch as they form no part of the present invention. A depending tubular column I4 is secured as by welding to the underside of the seat bracket l3 and said column provides the means whereby the seat is connected to the seat support or pedestal generally designated l and hereinafter more fully described.

The supportin pedestal l5 comprises a base plate [6 having apertures therethrough for the accommodation of bolts I! by means of which the structure is secured to the floor of a vehicle or the like, a base [8 secured as by welding to the bottom plate It, and a cap [9 secured as by welding to the top of the base [8. The base l8 comprises a sheet of metal bent to form a generally conical lower base portion 20 continuing upwardly in the rear to form a generally semi-conical rear upper base portion 2|, and the opposite sides of the front upper base portion are turned inwardly and then forwardly to form upright supporting flanges 22, and fiinally outwardly. The cap It is provided with a keyhole aperture 23 in its rearward portion, said aperture being surrounded by a downwardly turned flange 24 thus forming a vertical bearing. A shelf 25 has a downwardly turned peripheral flange 26 which is secured to the inner surface of the base 18 as by welding, said shelf being positioned intermediate the base plate [6 and the cap I9 and being provided with a keyhole aperture 2'! surrounded by a downwardly turned flange 28 thus to form a vertical bearing in vertical alignment with the bearing in the cap l9, these two bearings thus defining in effect a single vertical slide bearing cavity in the base [8.

The tubular column 14 on the seat vertically slidably bears in the circular portions of the keyhole apertures 23, 21 which define the bases vertical slide bearing cavity above described, and said column i4 is provided on its forward external surface with a rack bar 29. This rack bar 29 is of channel-iron formation, having a web portion 38 secured to the column [4 as by welding, and forwardly extending flanges 3| each having a vertical series of teeth 32. The channel rack bar 29 travels with the column It in the key portions of the apertures 23, 21 which define the bases vertical slide bearing cavity, and in the keyway 33 formed between the upright supporting walls or flanges 22 of the base. These supporting walls or flanges 22 are provided with non-vertical, rearwardly-downwardly inclined slots 34 in horizontal alignment with each other, and a horizontally disposed detent pin 35 has its opposite end portions movable in said slots so that the detent pin 35 is movable to a position for engagement with the teeth 22 of the rack bar 29 and also to a position out of the path of said rack bar. V-shaped wire springs 36 have their coiled middle portions secured on opposite ends of a mooring pin 3'! disposed in aligned openings in the upright flanges 22 of th base, and each spring 36 has one of its ends projected through a diametric aperture in the adjacent end of the pin 35 and the other of its ends bearing against the adjacent outwardly flanged portion 39 of the bases upper forward portion. The springs 36 normally urge the pin 35 toward position of ngagement with the teeth 32 of the rack bar 29.

Means accessible to the seat occupant are provided for manual1y-or pedallymoving the pin 35 out of the path of the rack bar 29 thus to permit free up and down movement of the seat and its depending column [4. As here shown "these means comprise a lever 39 pivotally mounted-on a pin 40 secured to brackets M -:wiiichzarefixedly mounted on the base plate 116 as by welding. This lever 39 has an operating arm which extends rearwardly-upwardly through a slot 42 the shelf and has an aperture at its upper end through which extends the pin 35. The lower arm of the lever 39 extends forwardly through an opening '43 the base 18 and-is provided with apedal 44 which w-hendepressed turns the :lever .39 to thus withdraw the pin from the path-of the rack bar. The slots 34 in which the pin -.-3.-5 .moves are desirably made slightly arcuateiabout the pivot pin of :the lever 39 as a center.

A cover member 45 for enclosing the :mecha- -nism ,just described :is of generall semi-conical formation, and is secured to the 'upper rrear portion of the base :as by-means of machine screws 45 (see Figure 1). Ilhis cover member -45 completes the substantially conical contour -of the base thus enhancing the appearance of the base, and the cover member may be quickly removed for inspection or replacement of parts of the i When the seat and its depending :column :IA

are assembled to the supporting base-iorgpedestal, the vcolumn'is inserted in the vertical slidebearing of the base and lowered :into position. ,EDHT'" :ing this assembly a -.cammed :surface '48 on the .lower end of the rack bar.2.9 strikes the ;pin;35 (see Figure 3) and :moves it-out of the .path :of the rack 'bar so that'itisrnot necessary-tordepress the pedal 44 when the seat is assembledto the pedestal. After assembly the pedal 44 .is 'depressed whenever it is desired to disenga ethe 'pin 35 from the rack bar '29 inorder to effect vertical readjustment. A detent tooth'49 isalso provided near the lower end-of the rack bani-J, which tooth 49 is adapted -.to- .engage the-pin 35 when the seat is lifted-beyond itsuppermostposition of adjustment so that the :seat cannotdoe completely removed from-the pedestal'un-less the pedal 44 is depressed to disengage 'thegpins'iifrom the rack bar's tooth 49.

-It wil1 be seenthatwhen the.-seat=is in; a prop erly adjusted position with the-pin r35 engaged 'behind one of the rack bars teethe3 2, :the seat load istransmitted through pin-35rdirectlytothe -upright-supportingwvalls onfiangesJZ-ofrthe base I 8 .and thus to r the-base. such that a minimum-of-stress and wear -.is-applied .tOzthfi various-parts of the mechanism. Llhe seat .may .be quickly-and -.easi1y (adjusted ,to .the height desiredbytheoperator.

-I t. wi11-alsobe seen that the forwardedownward This arrangement is v slope of the notches between the teeth 32, into which notches the pin 35 fits, effects a camming action on the pin 35 when the seat is manually raised, so that the pin is cammed out of the path of the rack bar. Thus the seat may be manually lifted by the operator while seated and without depressing the pedal 44, to a higher position of adjustment. 1

While but one specific embodiment of the inwcntion has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

We:claim-:

1. In a seatstruoture: a base having a vertical bearing cavity therein of generall keyholeshaped cross-section, each of the vertical walls at opposite sides of the keyway portion of said bearing cavit having a non-vertical slot therein in horizontal alignment with the slotof the other well; a seat provided with a depending tubular column vertically slidable in thecylindrical bearing portion of said bearingcavity; achannelrack bar having its Web secured to the tubular column and having its flanges extending forwardly into the ,keyway portion :of said vbearing cavity and verticallyslidable therein with the column, each flange having a vertical series of teeth in horizontal alignment with the teeth of the other flange; a lever mounted pivotally about a horizontal axis on the lower forward part of the base and having a pedal arm extendingexteriorly of the base and an operating arm extending prearwardly-upwardly between the flanges .of said channel rack bar; a horizontalvdetent pin on the upper end of said operating arm and extendin on both sides thereof for operative engagement with selected pairsiof teeth on said channel rack barfs flanges for supporting the seat and its depending column in vertically adjusted position, the --0,pp0site extremities of said pin bearing in said slots in the vertical walls at opposite sides of the keyway portion of the bearing cavity for (transmitting the ,seat load from the column to the base.

2. .-In.a.seat structure: a basehaving a vertical bearing cavity therein of generall keyholeshaped cross-section, each of the vertical walls at opposite :sides of the key-way portion of said :bearingcavity having-a non-vertical slot therein inhorizontalalignmentwith the slot of the other wall; a seat provided with .a depending tubular column vertically slidable inrthecylindricalbearing portion of said bearing. cavity; ca-channel-rack barhaving its websecured-to the tubular column and having its flanges.extending-forwardly into .the ikeyway portion of said "bearing vcavity and vertically slidable therein-with the column,- each rfiangehavingia verticalseries of teeth inhorizontal alignment with the teeth of the .other flange; a lever 'mountedpivotally aboutahori- 'zontalvaxis. onthedowerforward part of the base and having a pedal armj extending exteriorly of the .baserandan operating arm extending rearrwardlyeupwardly between the flanges ;.of said .channel rackbar a horizontaledetent pin on the upper end of .said operating ,armv and. extending .on both sides thereof for. operative engagement ,withslectedpairs of teeth on saidchannelrack bar.s flanges for supporting theseat audits. depending .column in vertically adjusted position, .the Opposite extremities .of {said pin bearing ;in said {slots vin .the .verticallwalls .at opposite sides (if h i key-way, portion of the bearing cavity; for

transmitting the seat load from the column to the base; and spring means normally urging said detent pin toward its position of engagement with the teeth of said channel rack bar.

In a seat structure: a base having a vertical bearing cavity therein of generally keyholeshaped cross-section, each of the vertical walls at opposite sides of the keyway portion of said bearing cavity having a non-vertical slot therein in horizontal alignment with the slot of the other wall; a seat provided with a depending tubular column vertically slidable in the cylindrical hearing portion of said bearing cavity; a channel rack bar having its web secured to the tubular column and having its flanges extending forwardly into the keyway portion of said bearing cavity and vertically slidable therein with the column, each flange having a vertical series of teeth in horizontal alignment with the teeth of the other flange; a lever mounted pivotally about a horizontal axis on the lower forward part of the base and having a pedal arm extending exteriorly of the base and an operating arm extending rearwardly-upwardly between the flanges of said channel rack bar; a horizontal detent pin on the upper end of said operating arm and extending on both sides thereof for operative engagement with selected pairs of teeth on said channel rack bar's flanges for supporting the seat and its depending column in vertically adjusted position, the opposite extremities of said pin bearing in said slots in the vertical walls at opposite sides of the keyway portion of the bearing cavity for transmitting the seat load from the column to the base; and a compression spring within said tubular column urging the column and seat in an upwardly direction for counterbalancing the weight of the seat.

WALTER. E. NORDMARK.

DONALD S. HUHTA.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 5,094: Mathewson Oct. 8, 1872 1,988,037 Furrer Jan. 15, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 320,877 France Aug. 27, 1902 

